Crystal Weekes wins bronze on first day of World Junior Taekwondo Championships

The youngest member of the U.S. team reached the podium on Wednesday's opening day of competition at the 9th WTF World Junior Taekwondo Championships in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. Crystal Weekes (Staten Island, N.Y.), 14, captured a bronze medal in the female heavyweight (+68kg) division to claim the United States' only medal of the day.

Weekes opened the competition with a convincing 17-9 win over Chinese Taipei's Chia-Jung Yu, and then advanced tothe medal round with an overtime win over 17-year-old Parinaz Kafaei Mohammadnejad of Iran. In her semifinal match, Weekes faced 2010 World Junior bronze medalist Alexandra Potapova of Russia, who will turn 17 later this month. Potapova landed a head shot early in the first round and shot out to a 4-0 lead. In the second round, Potapova scored two more three-point head shots and went up 12-0. Weekes was unable to find an opening on the experienced Russian fighter and the match was called on the 12-point gap rule at the end of the second round. Potapova would go on to win the gold medal.

Khuu defeated Alina Kryshniova of Belarus in overtime of her opening match, but then lost a 3-0 decision to Chinese Taipei's Wan-Chu Lo. Guzman was edged 4-3 by Libya's Ayub Benghawila in his first match and Thompson was defeated by Iran's Aref Farshad Mehr, 12-3.

Competition continues on Thursday. Here is the lineup for the American team for the remainder of the week: